


Prince of the Night

by Avrina



Series: Between Skin and Fur [3]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Arranged Marriage, Boys In Love, Brothers, Curses, Desperation, Family, Family Secrets, Fictional Religion & Theology, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kings & Queens, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Murder, Princes & Princesses, Prophets, Sex, Siblings, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:29:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27546118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avrina/pseuds/Avrina
Summary: The ages-old family curse leaves Theo doubting about his entire family for years and makes his own life sometimes quite difficult.At the welcome party for his eldest brother Rick's fiancée, a gloomy prophecy causes concern, and then a delicate secret literally falls into Theo's lap. For the sake of the kingdom, Theo must act and he can take no prisoners...
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Between Skin and Fur [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983710
Kudos: 2





	1. Sometimes it's easy to see that something new is starting

Theo moaned quietly and let his hands glide over sweaty skin. Fingers pierced his shoulders almost painfully and his own fingers twitched, kneading Liam's ass for a moment, whose steady up and down in Theo's lap slowed down as a result. Hot breath hit his face, dry lips pressed against his- it wasn't a real kiss, the lust level was already too high, the focus too much-

"Oh, fuck...", Liam murmured into Theo's mouth.

Theo took his hands off his ass and rubbed as an encouragement his thighs instead- it worked and Theo moaned again while Liam whimpered softly.

"Yes! Yes- _oh_ -yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Liam cheered himself on and Theo gave a rough gasp. Too rough.

_"No-no-no-no-no! Not now! Wait!"_ he whispered mentally and his fingernails bored into Liam's skin, eliciting a soft cry of pain. "Liam..." he groaned, seeking restraint, "Liam, please!" It wasn't his way to beg, especially not in this position, but it was getting late - too late, almost.

In his lap, Liam kept bouncing up and down, apparently unimpressed. Of course, Theo made him beg, too. But now-

_"Wait, please, just a little,"_ he begged in his mind and growled at himself in response. He was on the verge of throwing Liam on his back and finishing it himself when Liam became almost painfully tight around Theo and sprayed hot drops on him. Theo grabbed his hips and let his own jerk, once, twice, and then could not suppress a low scream.

He wanted to let go, really, so much, but he _couldn't_. His wolf wanted to ride the wave of lust, to be swept outside with it, but Theo couldn't let that happen- it had happened to him only once, but that had resulted in a bloodbath and he never wanted to experience that again. Besides, he liked Liam very much and didn't want to lose him. So he fought against the wolf and held him back with difficulty; the orgasm was like the unblocking of cramped muscles: liberating, but terribly painful.

Liam let himself sink against Theo and sighed. "Sun and Moon, that was good..."

"Yeah," Theo groaned, while a red veil lay before his eyes. The wolf was offended and would be difficult to talk to in the next few days. He blinked, stroked Liam's back and kissed him on the cheek. He had to get his page and bedfellow out of here as quickly as possible, but Liam wanted kisses. Sweet, gentle kisses which Theo usually liked to give.

"Didn't you like it?" Liam wanted to know, leaned back and seemed to waver between sulking and being hurt.

"I did..." Theo said and kissed the corner of his mouth before he wrung a smile from himself and then gently pushed him away. For a moment he felt the urge to satisfy his inner predator, but in the current mood of the wolf this could only end badly. So he pushed himself past Liam out of the big bed and stepped to the washbowl. He threw a wet washcloth to Liam and then cleaned himself, his hands starting to tremble.

The wolf was pissed and he let him feel it.

"Shall I help you get dressed, my prince?" Liam asked gently as they both had washed themselves and touched Theo in the small of his back.

"No, thanks." Theo shook his head, trying again for a smile. _"What's wrong with you? Otherwise you're not so bitchy,"_ he murmured in his mind, but of course the wolf didn't give a real answer.

Instead, Liam bowed deeply. "I thank my prince for his attention and wish you a peaceful night."

"Good night, Liam."

The page grabbed his things and slipped through the door to the anteroom of the bedroom.

The closing door cut off the valet Harold's word and Theo sank to the floor on the spot, already catching himself with paws instead of hands and shaking himself.

_"What's wrong with you?"_ , he wanted to know again, and since he was now in some way closer to the wolf than before, he caught his restlessness. Restlessness and tension. He retreated a little, almost giving the wolf a free hand, and welcomed it very much when he jumped onto the bed and curled up there without hesitation. The more freedoms he granted the wolf, the longer the _'inner peace'_ lasted, the more willing the wolf was to compromise.   
And you never knew when you would need such compromises.

~

Heavy, Theo leaned on the wooden balustrade of the gallery, which ran above the Great Hall. Below him, the court had a noisy breakfast, but he blanked it out, as he did the smells; the wolf dozed, so it was easy. He should have sat there, at the king's table, but for the moment he could not bear so much company. A miserable night lay behind him and the wolf had only now really come to rest.

Steps sounded behind him and then a silver-gray figure leaned next to him.

"What are you staring at? _The Fall of Darkness? The Giving of the Light? The Suffering of the Moon?_ Or rather one of the girls?"

"Are you kidding me?" Theo asked back tired and turned his head to the side.

"Not at all, little brother," Adrian replied gently - everything about him was gentle: his chubby body, his cinnamon-colored wavy hair, the look from his light brown eyes, his hands, his voice. "But you should sit down there with father."

"We both should," Theo growled and rubbed his face.

"My absence is more easily excused than yours."

"Everyone is used to my absence by now."

"But habit is no excuse."

"Leave me alone with your philosophical bullshit early in the morning, okay?"

Adrian was silent. Behind them, someone was laboriously suppressing a cough. As always, Adrian was accompanied by two writers who wrote down every word he said, no matter how trivial it might be.

"Is something wrong?", Theo asked finally and much less grumpy than before.

"I saw you standing up here and wondered what you were looking at," Adrian returned calmly and Theo rolled his eyes.

"The murals are driving me crazy."

"So one of the girls."

Theo pinched the root of his nose. One would have thought that it had reached Adrian even in the convent that Theo preferred men. " _The Fall of Darkness_ ," he said instead. "It's driving me mad." In exchange, he got a wry look, which he returned gloomily.

Adrian gave a kind of sigh and rubbed against his signet ring, which he wore on his left middle finger - a crescent moon wrapped around a star. He was the second born child of the king, the Prince of the Moon, a prophet after the Gods curse.

"Doesn't it bother you that you are reminded of it everywhere and all the time?", Theo wanted to know, and pointed with a brief gesture downwards to the huge wall paintings adorning the wooden paneling of the Great Hall.

Now Adrian sighed for real. "It is a reminder, Theo, a warning. Even gods can fall." He straightened up and tugged at his shirt. "Don't let Darkness take root in your heart."

Under his serious gaze, Theo shuddered and not for the first time he wondered if Adrian might not know the truth. For it was the third-born king's child who was to carry the wolf with him- Adrian's twin brother Edward- and not Theo as the fourth-born. But they couldn't talk about such things, not even in writing, because Adrian was under such meticulous surveillance that Theo without hesitation gave his wolf the preference.

"Why," he asked in a poor attempt to steer the subject in another direction, "do you not actually let yourself be ordained a priest? You would give wonderful sermons."

In fact, Adrian blushed a little and smiled shyly - a nice change from the gentle sublimeness usually on his face. "This is not meant for me."

"Never say _never_." Theo couldn't help but wink. Prophets and their prophecies could jumble centuries-old facts in seconds.

Immediately the augustness was back, but before Adrian could answer, agitation arose in the hall below them and Theo leaned forward.

"Majesty!" An archer from the guard walls slowed his running in the middle of the hall to a more moderate pace. "The princess' carriage is in sight!"

Excited murmuring rolled through the hall and Theo looked at Rick, who was sitting next to their father at the royal table. His brother's face was enlightened by a joyful smile, and he jumped up before pausing to murmur something to his father, and then hurried away.

"You'd think he was happy," Theo remarked sarcastically and followed Rick around the hall with his eyes.

"Is he in love?", Adrian innocently wanted to know.

"He doesn't even know her."

"They have been writing each other letters for three years."

"Letters are hardly enough to fall in love. Maybe she is ugly." Theo shrugged and Adrian tilted his head.

"Let's go and see."

"Are you _curious_?" Surprised, Theo looked at him, and now it was Adrian who shrugged.

"Why not? This princess will soon be part of our family."

Theo suppressed a sigh. _This princess_ was called Annabelle, was the granddaughter of the King of Sunfall and a highly precious political possession. "Let's have a look."

~

_'The carriage is in sight'_ did not nearly do justice to the retinue approaching the castle. In front rode an honor guard of two dozen knights, followed by the princess' guard. Behind them rolled the royal carriage - made of dark red wood, bronze and gold, a real monstrosity - again followed by carriages for the staff, carts, wagons and the like for luggage, furniture and gifts. Mirror-like, the princess's guard and a further honor guard formed the end.

With raised eyebrows, Theo stared at the cloud of dust hanging over the retinue and moving with it toward the castle. Rick had asked him if he wanted to be part of the honor guard - thanks to the wolf he had to refuse.

Adrian, who was leaning next to Theo on the battlements of the wall, sighed. "That must be uncomfortable."

"What?"

"Travelling like this."

"How else would you travel?"

"Not at all."

Now it was Theo who sighed. Adrian lived most of the time in the small monastery, which was no more than a leisurely riding hour away from here, and would never be subjected to a week-long trip by carriage.

"Well, look who's here..."

Theo got a brotherly-hard slap on the shoulder and then Ed squeezed in between him and Adrian. Theo looked at him darkly. Ed towered over him by one head and threw down one of his always slightly arrogant smiles before patting his twin's back much more gently and leaning forward affectedly.

"Sun and Moon, it'll be _hours_ before they get here!" he then remarked critically.

"One, I guess," said Theo calmly, but he could feel the wolf stirring. Ed was the third born, was supposed to carry the wolf according to the curse, and since Theo had shifted for the first time by night, he wondered what had gone wrong. He had tried to talk to Ed about it, but when Ed didn't want to talk, he was as mute as a rock, and Theo's finally slightly desperate attempts of conversation had led to a very tense relationship - but Theo didn't want to judge whether the three murder attempts came from Ed.   
But the wolf did not like Ed, and the more years passed, the more Theo agreed with him.

"Does it matter how long it takes?" Adrian asked. "At least they are already in sight."

"Do you really want to stand here flat on your feet?" Ed asked back.

"It's a question of honor to welcome our future sister," Adrian replied softly and Ed sighed theatrically.

"Whatever you say..."

~

The three of them later moved from the outer to the inner ring of walls, and Theo almost watched in amusement as the retinue was conducted around in the courtyard of the castle, so that Princess Annabelle's carriage escaped the cloud of dust and had enough space for an appropriate welcome.

"What did Rick say about her?" Theo finally addressed Ed. He was rather semi-curious, but a silent Ed always radiated a certain restlessness, which made Theo quite tingly.

"All sorts of things." Ed rolled his eyes. "To sum up, I think it can be said that she will make a good queen."

"Sounds good," Theo muttered and got a nod. And then he raised an eyebrow as a wooden screen was unfolded in front of the carriage, just as Rick stepped back into the yard.

"Fix your curls, powder your nose...," Ed mocked good-naturedly, and Adrian giggled a little stupidly, so Theo sighed. They could see Annabelle being helped out of the carriage, peeled out of a grayish brown traveling coat, shaking out the dark green dress and tugging at it, and all the other maneuvers.

Meanwhile, Rick stood almost impatiently in front of the screen, and Theo wondered briefly if his brother wasn't a little in love after all. As the screen was carried away by the servants, Theo involuntarily held his breath.

Just as the delicate morning shimmer of the sun inevitably turns into a glistening blaze, so the two shy smiles of the engaged couple shifted into something much brighter. Annabelle made a curtsy that made her look like she was drowning in her dark green skirts, which were extremely voluminous according to foreign fashions; Rick bowed so low that it would have been sheer derision to any other person. Then he took her hand and breathed a kiss on it.

Theo could almost see that Rick would have liked to do more than that, but Sunfall had a strict court etiquette and to offend Annabelle's company was certainly not helpful.

"Maybe we should go downstairs and introduce ourselves," Theo suggested, because an unpleasant restlessness seized him-he wanted to get off the wall and move.

"It's no use now." Ed shook his head. "Look at them, they're undre-", he cleared his throat, "they only have eyes for each other." He glanced at Theo who sighed in agreement, even though he thought it was unnecessary to pay such attention to the choice of words. Neither in honor of the princess, nor to protect the _fragile_ Adrian, who may have lived in the monastery, but who, unlike the monks, did not have to take any vows of celibacy. Who knew what was going on behind the monastery walls...

Adrian sighed and then looked at Ed. "Do you think father has any more weddings planned?" With this question they were moving on thin ice and Theo straightened involuntarily. Normally neither the Prince of the Moon nor the Prince of the Night got married; such a question from Adrian was downright provocative.

"For our sweet sister, for sure," Theo said dryly before Ed could do it, and set himself in motion. He wanted to get off this damn wall.

"I guess you can't escape it either," Ed said and his tone of voice almost had something nasty about it. He probably held back on any further comments just because Adrian was here.

"Probably," Theo returned far more relaxed than he felt - _theoretically_ , he was a good catch. "But considering how _tame_ the current Prince of the Night is, it might give father some interesting ideas."

Ed was too good an actor for his smile to slip. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

In a tense peace, they left the wall; in silence they crossed the chaotically noisy courtyard.

The wedding would take place in four weeks, and most likely their father would abdicate afterwards; his health had not been in the best condition for a while.

But when Theo passed one of the many religious murals, where the sun was worshipped, and Adrian in a strange gesture let his fingertips slide over it, he had to think of the prophecy Adrian had proclaimed four years ago. The words had caused Annabelle to be here as a result. Such an alliance had not been made in a long time and everywhere people were talking about new beginnings and flourishing and the like.

But Theo was the Prince of the Night. He could see the darkness lurking in the corners and cracks. For where there is light, there are also shadows; where something begins, something else must end.


	2. A joyous celebration is not complete without gloomy prophecy

"More wax," Harold grumbled.

"No!" Theo protested.

"Of course," Liam agreed eagerly and dipped his slender fingers once again in the soft hair wax, which smelled irritatingly of tree resin.

Theo growled grumpy as Liam glued his unruly black hair together into what was supposed to be a posh, strict braid; his hair was just long enough for said mini-braid, but there was no way the remaining short strands should fall into his face. At the same time, he wiggled his toes in the new boots Harold had just laced; the sturdy leather was still quite stiff, and a sock seam sat uncomfortably on the big toe. All in all, Theo was not exactly in the best of moods and was very happy that his wolf had retreated more in light of the human things. Often he became restless by Theo's displeasure himself and then they wound one another up more and more.

"Well, my prince, I think you are ready," Harold said a little later and straightened up, nodding to Theo.

Theo nodded back and rose from the padded bench, stepped in front of the large mirror and sighed deeply at the sight of the disguised prince looking back at him. He knew that he made a gloomy appearance, with his black hair and almost black eyes, dressed in the night blue and stone gray of the House of Lokeelt. Since he did not want to adapt to courtly fashion- he found it both impractical and ugly- an almost military style had been imposed on him years ago. _Dark and ridiculous_ , he thought, and turned away when there was a knock. His unnaturally good ears clearly heard the door, the clacking of heels and the rustling of clothes; that none of the three servants in Theo's salon said anything meant only one thing: Rafe had come.

"Are you still not ready?" Rafe also asked promptly, just as Theo stepped out of the anteroom of the bedroom into the drawing room.

"You look terrible," they noticed critically at the same time and made a grimace. As little as the military style suited Theo's small, slender figure, the fashionable frills and buckled shoes with heels did not fit Rafe's broad body.

Theo stepped closer and with his thumb rubbed a somewhat too hard line from Rafe's artificial blush. "You didn't really try very hard," he said, frowning at the wobbly black lines around Rafe's light blue eyes.

"Tell that to Lucas," Rafe growled and grimaced. "He was going to let me do it myself."

"Get yourself a better page," Theo suggested seriously. Pages were surprisingly interchangeable; Liam was already his fourth.

"He's good in bed," Rafe returned and lifted a darker powdered brow.

"Pages are not primarily for bed, my dear." Theo raised an eyebrow too.

"I know. But someone has to warm it up for me when you're not around," Rafe murmured somewhat mockingly and bent down to kiss Theo.

Theo sighed comfortably, grabbed Rafe by his long lapel and welcomed his tongue into his mouth, glad that Rafe was not wearing lipstick. Rafe's make-up and the fact that he combined the colors of his house with those of Theo shouted clearly visible to everyone that he belonged to this prince and did not intend to ever marry a woman. Same-sex marriages were unusual among nobles and it was not the first time that Theo wished he and Rafe were commoners.

"My prince, it is time," Harold spoke up.

"Yes...", Theo muttered half into Rafe's mouth and took a step back; Rafe's possessive grip made him leave only hesitantly.

~

_Ridiculous_ , it hammered with each step in Theo's head. _Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous._ His boots sounded dull, Rafe's heels clacked faintly. _Ridiculous_.

Rafe squeezed his hand. "Don't make such a face."

Theo sighed sullenly and raised her intertwined hands, half hidden under the frills of Rafe's cuffs. "This is ridiculous."

"I do hope you mean my clothes and not _us_."

"Oh, stop it! If Rick starts dressing the court permanently for his bride as if it were a stage play, then..."

"...then?"

Theo sighed again. "Then I will go away. Can't we live at your place?"

"Sure, in theory we can." Rafe nodded, but his loving smile slipped. "But I don't know how our brides will take that."

"Plural?" Stunned, Theo stopped. "You wear makeup here and now and-"

"Martina has hinted that she would like to hand over the inheritance to me as soon as she is married," Rafe said quietly and audibly unhappy. "But nothing has been decided yet." If Rafe's older sister refused her inheritance, the title of the Grand Lord would go to Rafe - and then he _would have_ to marry.   
The announcement hurt.  
"Theo... nothing is decided yet," Rafe said, squeezing his hand.

He nodded. "Let's go." They went on, but the news lay like a stone in Theo's stomach. He himself had no liking for women, but in Rafe, interest for them did flash up from time to time, and strangely enough, it bothered him more than the other little adventures on the side, which they had agreed upon.

When they reached the Great Hall, they sighed almost simultaneously and took posture.

"Ridiculous," muttered Theo gloomily and crossed the threshold.

"I love you no matter how ridiculously we are dressed," Rafe murmured back.

Theo squeezed his hand and raised his chin a little. "I would love you more without clothes on."

The attempt to suppress an amused snort led to a very impolite grunt, which in turn caused Theo to laboriously suppress a grin.

Out of the corner of his eye, Theo looked at the court and writhed inwardly. His parents were not very attached to court etiquette, and accordingly, things were usually relaxed here. But King James and Queen Catherine were splendidly dressed- along with all the nobles present- and Theo almost thought he could see the discomfort on his mother's face.   
His uncle Kurt wore the ceremonial silver robes of a Prince of the Moon and his little sister Melissa... well, her chaste virgin veil did not sufficiently hide the breasts, which were presented very clearly.   
Princess Annabelle looked terribly ill in her high-necked yellow-orange-red dress, the Lokeelt night blue of her coat looked dirty.   
Rick wore a color combination that was much more pleasant to the eye.

"Prince Theodore and Raphael Sogel," the herald shrilly announced as they reached the center of the Great Hall.

Theo's stomach really began to hurt as he saw the fine frown on Annabelle's pretty face as they approached. He had no idea how same-sex relationships were handled in Sunfall, but apparently the princess seemed to dislike the idea.

"Brother. Princess." Theo bowed respectfully.

"My prince. Princess." Rafe bowed lower. They hadn't let go of each other and as Theo straightened up, Annabelle's frown deepened, but Rick smiled.

"Sit down and enjoy the evening," he said happily, and when Theo needed to let go of Rafe after all- at an event like this they had to sit at different tables- he saw Rick grab Annabelle's hand and whisper something to her.

Theo turned right and sat down next to Melissa, who was allowed to sit next to Annabelle.

"You look terrible," she murmured to him.

"Tell me about it," he murmured back.

"Did you really have to make such an entrance?" she then asked after a tiny pause and Theo rolled his eyes towards her.

"We are a couple."

"Not officially," she returned pointedly and pressed her back straight.

"We are as official as you can be after six years of living a relationship in public." At these sharp words the wolf stirred; to Theo's relief he had accepted Rafe and had also developed a kind of protective instinct for him.

"Tsk," she made pejorative and Theo wanted to shake her. He didn't need to follow her gaze to know that she was looking at Rafe and adoring him. While he was still considering whether or not to reward her childish reaction with a verbal response, the twins stepped in.

Like Kurt, Adrian wore the ceremonial robes and his fine smile made him seem almost enraptured. Or drunk.

Ed, on the other hand, was beaming with an exuberant good mood and thus belying his own dark appearance- not unlike Theo's. It was this resemblance to their father and his strong charisma that made Theo believe Ed was his brother, and which opened the possibility that this twin was actually the first-born child of the king.  
Rick, on the other hand, who like Adrian looked very much like their mother, also had the charisma and political sensibility worthy of a Prince of the Sun, but he just didn't look like the King.

"The Princes Adrian and Edward!" the herald exclaimed shrilly.

The soft murmuring of those present fell silent for a moment before it restarted.

As opposed as the twins looked, so did they behave. Ed bowed almost excessively low, while Adrian rather hinted at the bow.

A certain curiosity appeared on Annabelle's face and her gaze twitched between the two of them.

Ed turned to the left to sit next to his mother, Adrian sat down next to Theo; his writers scurried inconspicuously and sat down on the stools provided.

"You look terrible," Adrian muttered to Theo, who immediately made a face, while Melissa giggled. "Or are you planning to officially start an officer's career?"

"Do I look like a soldier?" Theo asked back growling and got a shake of the head; a verbal answer might have had some meaning.

And then a whisper spread through those present.

Theo raised his eyes and bit his lip a little guiltily: in a modified armchair, his grandmother Elizabeth was carried in, King James' mother, who had already reached the age of ninety and had been a rattly skinny wreck physically since Theo could remember. Mentally, on the other hand, she was absolutely clear and he was a little ashamed because he didn't pay his respects to the old lady more often.

"Lady Elizabeth Lokeelt!" The herald's voice sounded different than usual, but Theo watched in much more amazement as Annabelle rose and- when the old lady reached the royal table- sank into such a deep curtsey that she disappeared behind the table for a moment. A gesture whose certain silliness was more than made up for by the deep respect she was expressing.

"A ray of sunshine in the realm of the moon..." said Elizabeth with a strange smile and Theo shuddered.

Adrian uneasily sucked in the air.

"What is it?", Theo wanted to know quietly and tried not to frown too much.

Adrian licked his lips. "Her words are taken from a prophecy," muttered the Prince of the Moon and grabbed his wine cup. "Grandfather's brother pronounced them, just before he died very young."

"How do you know such things?", Theo asked and now frowned after all, before he, too, grasped his wine cup and like Adrian took a tiny sip.

"Since my own words, I have been researching this." Adrian wiggled his eyebrows and gave Theo a quick glance. "Great-uncle Randall prophesied practically the same thing I did, only bigger. Darker."

"Could you perhaps express yourself a _little_ more clearly?" Theo asked and took another sip. Conversations like this quickly became difficult.

"Light dispels shadows in one place and creates them in another, doesn't it?"

Theo leaned back and emptied his wine. "And Grandmother remembers it," he said slowly, while a servant gave him a refill.

"Looks like it," Adrian murmured quietly while James got up to give a speech.

~

Even though Rick and Annabelle had been officially engaged for a while, this was probably the real celebration of it. There was food and drink and talk, musicians presented new and old songs and ballads, a storyteller artfully delivered a cheerful story about how the sons of the Sun tricked the giants.

Theo exchanged only a few words with Adrian during the hours of exuberance, and even less with Melissa, who for her part kept exchanging short remarks with their new sister. Instead, he practiced in wordless communication with Rafe, who sat between Theo's cousin Michael- the two were friends, so it was no drama- and his younger sister Charlotte.

When Annabelle began to speak- and apparently to everyone- Theo lowered the spoon with which he had stirred without appetite in a pudding.

"...and would like to thank you." Her effort to speak the local dialect made it difficult to understand her. "Even if what is promised in the treaties is not yet-"

"Death roams about," Adrian said suddenly and moreover surprisingly loud and firm.

"Pardon?" Annabelle seemed confused.

Theo looked at Adrian and when he noticed his glazed look, he raised his hand, the thumb and forefinger bent into the symbol of a crescent moon. Immediately it became silent.

"Death roams about," Adrian repeated tense. "The Darkness in the castle is awakening."

Someone gasped in horror, the quills of the scribes scratched.

"Two sarcophagi in the royal crypt. The king walks to the altar in full regalia. Blessing candles are replaced by black ones." He took a rattling breath and Theo ripped Melissa's fan of black silk rudely out of her hand to provide air for Adrian; beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Soldiers are marching," he continued more quietly, and somewhere something clattering fell to the ground. "A lonely crown. A howl in the night."

A shiver ran down Theo's back and if he could have made eye contact with Ed from his position, he would have done so. Instead, he looked at Rafe, who clasped his wine cup as if he wanted to use it as a weapon the next moment.

Adrian, apparently finished with his prophecy, collapsed and groaned quietly. The good thing about his words: they were very clear to understand (in contrast to Kurt's, who always muttered incomprehensibly). The bad thing about them: they were always just shreds, fragments- the inkling of something fueling the thought mill, but not enough to produce a real result. A complex painting, summarized in a single short sentence.

"Prince Adrian?" Grand Lord Derol on Adrian's other side reacted immediately and grabbed Adrian by the arm- one could have interpreted it as disrespect, but Theo also grabbed one, as Adrian was about to tip over.

"Adrian!" said Theo sharply, sharper than intended, because suddenly the wolf was wide awake.

"Fresh air and then a bed." Derol's words were half command, half suggestion - the man was a soldier through and through.

Theo nodded, and then they dragged Adrian to his feet more than he got up himself.

When they were halfway out of the Great Hall, where excited chatter had broken out, Ed arrived.

"Thanks, Grand Lord, I'll take care of him," he said determinedly, and the lord bowed his graying head.

Theo did not quite understand what he muttered as a greeting, for in the hall a woman screamed something about the princess bringing harm.

"You would think Adrian had announced the end of the world," Ed growled with audible eye rolling and Theo, swaying under Adrian's bulky weight, groaned:

"Brings a little swing to the court, doesn't it?"

"Maybe, but if someone is really insisting that Annabelle brought the trouble, we have a problem. Or rather, Rick will have a problem very soon." Ed sounded really gloomy now and Theo sighed.

"I am aware. But wherever the trouble may come from: if it's there, it's there, and you have to take care of it."

"It's easy to say that."

"Hey, where's your otherwise unshakable optimism about disaster?"

"Shut up, Theo. If they don't pin the blame on Annabelle or the bearer of the bad news, traditionally, the Prince of the Night is next."

Theo looked critically over Adrian's shoulder at Ed, but he concentrated on the steps in front of him. "Ed..."

"Sun and Moon, Adrian, what's wrong? Normally, you don't collapse like that!"

Adrian made a miserable sound. "I don't know," he muttered, causing them all to stumble as he tried to straighten up.

"Ed, we have to talk," Theo said seriously and of course got the right answer promptly:

"Not now, Theo!"

"Not at this _exact moment_ , of course, fallen Darkness! But-"

"Your Highnesses!" Hurrying servants interrupted Theo and swarmed around the three princes until they reached Adrian's rooms.

Theo stopped in the hallway and rolled his shoulders while Ed pushed the door shut behind him. He could have been offended- and was a little bit- that Ed excluded him that way, but the rumble of the wolf wanting attention and explanations had become so loud that Theo's skull was humming.

_"Take it easy, fur ball,"_ he said mentally, calm, but the wolf pushed outside. _"Please, wait."_

The wolf didn't want to wait.

Theo staggered under the onslaught and hissed, unable to put his thoughts into words properly any longer. He tried to draw the darkness to himself to hide in it, but the wolf was too excited, too agitated, and the Prince of the Night had to hold him back even more than the night before.

Luckily for Theo, his own rooms were not far down the hall and the guards opened the door for him.

"Harold," he choked out, and his valet hurried over - the man knew the truth, by necessity.

"Leave the prince alone!" he barked, holding Theo supporting by his arm, and Theo saw how even Liam - Harold's nephew after all - flinched.

Inside, Theo wrestled with the wolf in order not to endanger anyone.

The door had hardly closed when Harold already asked: "How bad is it?"

"Bad." At the same moment, still in the salon, Theo dropped to the floor and tore his jacket, vest and shirt from his body, while Harold took care of the boots and socks. "Dark prophecy...", Theo then gasped. "Too much tension." Oh damn, the wolf was in a bad mood and Theo growled angrily.

Harold unlaced his pants.

The wolf reared up, Theo shook and cursed the old curse which tormented him _in the darkest hours of the night_.

He shifted while Harold still pulled his trousers and underpants over his knees, but the wolf figure jumped light-footedly out of the clothes.

"My prince..." Harold said reverently and the wolf tilted his head.

_"Stubborn beast!"_ , Theo scolded. _"You and your impatience!"_ And then he was completely amazed when the wolf answered him as clearly as never before. They weren't words or like usually vague impressions and sensations, but almost clear pictures, feelings and something for which Theo had no words.

The wolf felt the weight of Adrian's words. His family was in danger. He himself was in danger. He needed to protect himself and his own, needed more information, needed assurances of all kinds.

Theo was flabbergasted and that so thoroughly that he lost all access to the wolf when he wrapped them in darkness.


	3. The burden of not knowing rests on many shoulders

Theo awoke as a wolf, which was unusual, but not surprising in view of the events. What worried Theo much more was the fact that on the one hand the wolf didn't share the happenings of the night with him and on the other hand that he was in a storage room for furniture. The wolf was an independent being, usually imprisoned in Theo, but after some initial difficulties they got along well with each other and while Theo now rose from some wall hangings out of which the wolf had built a nest and then shifted back, he wondered what was going on in his dark side.   
The wolf didn't answer, but slept deeply and firmly, his mind closed.   
With a sigh Theo stretched himself.

"What have you done, hmm?" he murmured, knowing full well that the wolf could have slaughtered half the castle, and looked around. The storage room was gloomy, windows and doors blocked by furniture- no, there was an opening in the wall. The adjoining room was also full of furniture, but there was enough light shining in here to tell Theo that he had a problem: it was broad daylight. No shadows to hide his nakedness. He sighed and climbed over several chairs to the window to see where he was.

"Ha!", he made after a moment. He was in the guest wing and thus not far from Rafe. He hurriedly climbed over the furniture again and then carefully opened the door. It was quiet and nobody was to be seen.

He slipped into the hallway and with all his might grabbed the few shadows to hide himself in them as far as possible, and then hurried across the hallway as long as no one was there. Neither the guards outside the guest rooms nor the few wandering servants noticed him, but when he arrived one floor below, he began to sweat with exertion- the shadows of the early day were not necessarily his friends.   
Since he couldn't appear out of nowhere, he made it seem like he deliberately walked through the castle in the morning stark naked - the guards who saw him might raise an eyebrow, but they would remain silent. One of the guards in front of Rafe's chambers knocked with a gloved hand and Theo took a pose.

John, Rafe's valet, opened the door and blinked at Theo in surprise before he tried to suppress a grin. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Do I look like a highness at the moment?" Theo wanted to know sarcastically and marched past him.

"Theo...", said Rafe, amazed, standing in the middle of his salon with a letter in his hand and very obviously just in his dressing gown.

"Good morning, what are you reading?" Outwardly unimpressed, although he was slowly getting cold, Theo stepped up to Rafe, gave him a kiss and then squinted at the letter.

Rafe wrapped an arm around him and sighed. "Mother's usual words. If you wait five minutes, the bath is ready."

Theo nodded and cuddled up to Rafe who gave John a signal- a few minutes later John announced that the bath was ready and all the servants left the room.

"Sun and Moon, Theo, why are you walking naked through the castle?" Rafe then wanted to know and pushed Theo away to give him a thorough check-up.

Theo sighed. "What do you think?"

"Certainly not to seduce me, you have no need of that. You are cold and your hair looks awful." Rafe dropped the letter and plucked Theo's hair while his other hand stroked his back.

Theo sighed again. "Let's go for the bath. You still have black spots around your eyes."

Together they went into the bathroom and made themselves comfortable in the tub, as far as possible. Theo nestled his back against Rafe's front and looked at him upside down.

"The wolf was very excited yesterday. I don't know what he was doing, but I woke up one floor above in a storage room."

Rafe hummed, which made Theo's body vibrate, and painted with wet fingers on Theo's chest.

"I would never have made it to my rooms unseen."

"And I thought you were here because you loved me," Rafe muttered with a smile and pinched his nipple.

"I am here because you have fresh clothes from me in stock, and that is precisely because you love me," Theo returned and patted Rafe's knee.

Rafe now grinned and Theo turned a little to kiss him. Rafe's hands stroked his back and side, but then Rafe leaned his head back. "Dive under."

Theo grimaced in annoyance. "I'm still angry because you didn't tell me about Martina's intentions earlier. You're not gonna get a blowjob now."

"I don't want a blowjob either, I want to wash your hair," Rafe replied with an eye roll. "Besides, I don't know what Martina really wants until she gets here."

"Okay, wait... give me the long version, now." Theo asked and sat up.

Rafe made an unhappy face. "Martina was always thinking about giving me the inheritance, but that was always just ... well, _considerations_ when she had a new idea what to do with her life instead." Rafe shrugged and Theo nodded.

"I know. And now what?"

"Yesterday at noon a letter arrived from father and besides the usual stuff, it also said that Martina was coming to the Court to talk to me about the inheritance. She'll probably arrive in three or four days."

"If she comes all the way here for that..." The journey from Sogel Castle to the Royal Castle took about a week by carriage, which admittedly was not much, but Theo was only too aware that certain things were not discussed by letter. He looked up, but Rafe examined his fingers.

"I'm afraid this time she means it seriously," he murmured and it took a moment before he looked up.

Theo clenched his jaws and reached for a soft cloth placed in a bowl next to the tub. "Come here," he murmured, "you still have stains there..."

"Theo...", Rafe began tortured while he obediently bent over so Theo could wash his face.

"I know," Theo said quietly, wiping away the rest of the makeup. "I know." With his free hand he stroked Rafe's cheek, brushing his thumb across his lower lip. "I would love to propose marriage, but if we do, our families will kill us."

Weakly, Rafe shook his head. "I love you, and even a wife can't change that. And I'd rather marry than lose you for real."

"I love you too, Rafe. More than the few letters can really express," Theo replied with a sad smile and was surprised when Rafe strongly pulled him close.

"Whew!"

"You don't understand... Adrian said two sarcophagi in the royal crypt," Rafe said intensely. "I'm afraid of losing you."

For a moment Theo was taken by surprise, then he embraced Rafe tenderly and whispered: "I am the Prince of the Night. Nothing will kill me that easily."

"It's easy for you to say," Rafe whispered back. "Yet you are of royal blood. No matter what the natural odds are for your grandmother to fall asleep peacefully the next night, it was-"

"Shh.", Theo did and rubbed Rafe's neck. "Shh. The wolf and I will not interfere with anything."

"And what did the wolf do last night?"

Since Theo had no answer, he kept silent.  
  


~  
  


"Hi, Charly," Theo said and sat down. The tables in the Great Hall were put back into their usual formation.

"Hi, Theo." Charlotte bowed her head in greeting and smiled over the edge of her tea cup.

"Morning," Rafe said succinctly and dropped down next to his sister, and thus opposite Theo.

"You don't look like you slept well," Charlotte remarked, and her tone of voice made it clear that she was not assuming that the two of them had spent the night with certain physical activities.

"No," Theo and Rafe said simultaneously.

Charlotte nodded and reached for the teapot to pour the two of them. "How is our Prophet? He wasn't looking very good...", she wanted to know with honest concern.

Theo, who rather listlessly took a spicy muffin, shrugged. "I guess he slept like a rock and is now fit again. He is not as fragile as he looks." He winked at Charlotte, who giggled.

But her giggle died away when she looked at her brother. " _You_ really don't look well," she said, and Rafe looked up from his plate.

"You have heard the prophecy. I'm worried," he said gloomily and Theo suppressed a sigh; instead, he bit off his muffin again. He couldn't blame Rafe for his concern; the other way around, he would have felt the same way after all, but still he was the prince of the night and therefore not to be underestimated. However, he couldn't say this out loud in public, so he said instead:

"You shouldn't take it to heart like that. Who knows when that will even happen?" There were some prophecies for whose fulfillment the country had been waiting for a long time. Among other things, for almost a thousand years they had been anxiously waiting for a child of the night to take the throne and give the kingdom a dark time before a child of the sun would bring back glory once more.

"That is quite true, but-"

"Pardon, my prince..." A servant bowed beside the table and interrupted Rafe's protest.

"Yes?" Theo looked up questioningly.

"The king has called the family together for ten o'clock." The servant bowed again and disappeared.

Theo, on the other hand, turned halfway around and looked at the large hourglass, whose tenth sphere was almost half full.

"Our bath lasted longer than we thought," Rafe remarked unmoved, but Theo could still see the brief flash in his eyes and denied himself a smile. He could still feel Rafe's hand, and Rafe surely felt the same.

"Of course it did," Charlotte threw in grinning and Rafe gave her a pat on the head.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about."

"Oh, but I know what you're doing. I may have a different anatomy and am as untouched as I should be"- Theo raised an eyebrow because he found that hard to believe- "but I am not ignorant or stupid." Charlotte pulled a pout and Rafe rolled his eyes.

"Nobody said you were stupid."

Well, Melissa did that all the time, but Theo refused to comment because they all knew. The two girls were almost the same age, but unlike Charlotte, Melissa was terribly immature. They despised each other with a passion which was almost admirable, but unfortunately the main reason was Rafe. Melissa was in love with him, Charlotte supported his relationship with Theo. Girl friendship? Impossible.

"Well, I'll be on my way," Theo said and emptied his teacup before getting up and bending over the table to kiss Rafe.

"Will you tell me afterwards what was discussed?" Rafe murmured.

"Sure, if I don't fall asleep because they chew on the same things for hours," Theo murmured back and winked good-bye to Charlotte.  
  


~  
  


The king's audience chamber was deliberately kept neutral, with few floral decorations on the walls and in subdued colors.   
King James spoke with his brother Kurt and the high priest of the First Temple, Justin.   
Melissa sat sulking at a table, deliberately refusing to look at Theo as he walked past her, leaning a little aside against a second table.   
Rick had a tense conversation with Uldred, a scholar of prophecy, and Annabelle stood nervously beside him. In her colorful dress with its many ruffles and puffy skirts, she seemed extremely out of place here, for Catherine, for example, was wearing a day dress that was just as plain as her maid Miriam, who patted her hand and gave Theo a worried smile when their eyes met. She took off her shawl and put it on the queen before withdrawing, giving a smile to Edward and Adrian, who were just entering.   
Theo was relieved to see that Adrian was just a little pale around the nose. And then he was surprised when Grand Lord Patrick Baraan, Queen Catherine's younger brother, entered with two other priests and closed the door behind him.

"Please, all of you take your seats," James said, like he had to suppress a deep sigh.

Next to the king's heavy desk, which James and Catherine sat down at, there were only two other small tables- one was occupied by Melissa, Kurt and Edward, the other by Theo and now Adrian- while all the others took their chairs from the walls more into the center of the room and sat down.

James pointed to Uldred. "Please repeat yesterday's words again."

The scholar of prophecy cleared his throat and pulled a note from his robe. _"Death roams about. The Darkness in the castle is awakening. Two sarcophagi in the royal crypt. The king walks to the altar in full regalia. Blessing candles are replaced by black ones. Soldiers are marching. A lonely crown. A howl in the night."_ He cleared his throat a second time.

"Adrian, son, can you clarify your words?"

Adrian stiffened visibly.

Theo looked at him. His enhanced senses perceived the concern, almost fear, in his brother.

"Adrian?"

"Father, I..." Adrian swallowed and looked briefly at Ed, who had folded his hands- Theo assumed to hide their trembling. "I have seen shadows wandering through the castle and-"

"Please wait, Child of the Moon," Uldred interrupted him gently. "Let's go through each of the eight points one by one, shall we?"

Adrian nodded and Theo stopped himself from patting Adrian's arm encouragingly on one side while he admired Uldred on the other. The man had been sworn in as a novice to the just awakening prophetic powers of Adrian and the two had been working together for twenty years.

_"Death roams about,"_ Uldred said, but Adrian- eyes closed- shook his head.

_"The Darkness in the castle is awakening."_

Adrian took a hissing breath and squeezed his eyes even tighter. "I have seen shadows rising from nowhere and roaming the castle as if searching for something." His hand twitched and Theo reached for it carefully, only to find himself directly in a hold seeking grip.

Ed frowned and Theo sucked his lower lip as he looked at his brother. Back then, after the shock of the first transformation, he had methodically searched the royal library and then the library of the First Temple for information, but hadn't found much. Publicly known about the Children of the Night was merely that they had enhanced senses, usually possessed an irrepressible temperament and could shift into a wolf. Everything else - the handling of the shadows, for example - Theo had taught himself and Ed couldn't know about it. So he could not feel addressed by this fragment of the prophecy.

Only- now that Theo had Ed before his eyes and was thinking about it, _he_ felt addressed. The wolf had changed last night.

"What kind of shadows are these?" Annabelle wanted to know.

"It's quite possible that it's just a metaphor for unknown, but malevolent, powers," said one of the priests and nodded politely to the princess.

Annabelle frowned as if she was not satisfied with the answer.

"May I continue?", Uldred wanted to know, and since no one objected, he said: _"Two sarcophagi in the royal crypt."_

Adrian shrugged, still with his eyes closed. "Freshly cut, I think."

"Something conspicuous? Symbols, ornaments?"

"Can't say." His hand in Theos twitched again.

"But are they normal sarcophagi?" Annabelle wanted to know, and Ed asked:

"What kind of question is that?"

"Are you children buried in normal-sized coffins?" Annabelle seemed confused.

"Of course not," Catherine said softly. "But there are no children of royal blood at this time."

"Annabelle has a point," Theo interjected, though he hadn't really wanted to say anything. "No one knows whether the prophecy concerns the here and now or the perhaps distant future." Something about Rick's expression bothered him, but he couldn't have named it.

Catherine harrumphed.

Uldred cleared his throat. _"The king walks to the altar in full regalia."_

Adrian took a deep breath. "I stand in the gallery of the First Temple as the king enters and goes forward. Candles flicker on the altar. Someone is lying in state next to it, but covered with a death shroud. I..." He broke off and Theo squeezed his hand.

It was silent for a moment, then Uldred wanted to know softly: "Blessing candles are replaced by black ones - does that belong together?"

"I don't know," Adrian whispered.

Theo wondered whether it would have been better if Adrian had sat down properly, because he began to tremble.

"Were the blessing candles already burned or still unused?", High Priest Justin wanted to know.

"I don't know," Adrian whispered again.

Annabelle and Rick whispered something to each other, perhaps explanations, and then Rick asked:

"Adrian, can you tell us which king is going to the altar?"

"No. I'm just absolutely sure it's a king, not a queen."

Well, that didn't mean much. Almost all the Children of the Sun, Moon or Night were male. If one of the three children in question was female, it was usually the child of the moon.

"I have another question," Patrick let himself be heard and waited until his brother-in-law nodded at him before continuing. "A king in full regalia, paying his last respects to a deceased person. How many people could it include?"

While Theo still blinked in surprise, James sucked in the air with a hiss.

"I for one," he said slowly, "would pay this honor to my mother, my wife and my heir."

Theo shivered and Adrian squeezed his hand. He looked at Rick, who frowned worriedly and patted Annabelle's hand, and then at Ed, who seemed a little offended. Melissa also appeared offended, but Theo didn't mind this statement. Rather, it narrowed down the probabilities - assuming all of this was actually connected and was about to happen.

But the king's words left a certain silence.

_"Soldiers are marching,"_ Uldred continued after a while.

"What colors were they wearing?" Rick asked seriously.

"Dark colors," Adrian said slowly, but even that didn't have to mean much, because soldiers could march- depending on the situation- in the colors of the country or those of their Grand Lord, and they sometimes differed considerably. They could be soldiers from their own country or from neighbors, it was impossible to tell.

_"A lonely -"_

Kurt, who had previously just sat there with a deeply thoughtful expression on his face, gave off a rattle.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as he began to murmur to himself.

Theo didn't understand a word, but that didn't surprise him, but the wolf pricked up his ears - Theo hadn't even noticed he was awake.

_"Do you understand what he is saying?"_ , Theo wanted to know and the wolf sent him the picture of a burnt down big fire. A funeral pyre? Whirling ash flakes.

Kurt's two scribes listened with strained faces and when Kurt fell silent, High Priest Justin had their notes handed to him- Uldred looked over his shoulder.

"...and where there was silence, there will be... hmm..."

The wolf gave Theo a little nudge. "Ashes," he said softly.

"Yes," whispered one of the scribes. " _And where there was silence, there will be ashes._ That fits."

"I think he's talking about a funeral pyre. For the soldiers," Theo whispered to Adrian, who simply nodded and squeezed Theo's hand in agreement.

This recent prophecy caused a bit of a stir.

"Let us proceed, please," James finally said, raising his hands as he asked for silence.

Uldred cleared his throat. _"A lonely crown."_

Adrian shrugged. A tremor ran through his body and Theo got the feeling that Adrian was not telling them everything, but perhaps it was just terribly exhausting to recall the images of prophecy into the mind.

_"A howl in the night,"_ Uldred finally said, and of course all eyes twitched to Ed.

Ed promptly ducked his head. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but when his gaze met Theo's, he pressed his lips together.

Theo also clenched his jaws and then looked at Adrian, who had turned quite pale but now opened his eyes. An almost pleading expression lay in them. Theo had no idea what Adrian was trying to tell him, but the wolf was tense and sent him his grandmother's picture. For a moment, Theo was confused, then he opened his mouth and interrupted the explanations of one of the priests.

"What about grandmother's words?"

"Excuse me?", the priest made annoyed.

"A ray of sunshine in the realm of the moon. She said that to Annabelle, didn't she?" Theo looked at Annabelle, who nodded in disbelief. "Great Uncle Randall said that back then, as part of his prophecy, which includes the same thing as Adrian's, doesn't it?"

Uldred nodded after a moment. "Yes..." he reluctantly said, "Randall predicted the same thing, but Sunfall had no princess for his brother or nephew, not until now. And yes, that sentence was part of it."

"What are you getting at, Theo?" Rick asked slowly and tense.

Theo swallowed. He hadn't wanted to interfere at all, but Adrian barely squeezed his hand and so he grimaced unhappily. "A ray of sunlight brings light, but where there is light, there are also shadows. Exactly these shadows could cause the darkness-" He broke off, because Annabelle looked equally shocked and angry.

"What are you trying to say?" she repeated Rick's question, although Theo hardly needed to explain his words more clearly.

It was Patrick who helped him matter-of-factly: "Lady Elizabeth uttered these words because they were matching, but maybe that was exactly what triggered the prophecy in Adrian."

Now Annabelle looked angrily at Adrian, who flinched under her gaze.

"Annabelle, please," Rick muttered admonishingly, "He is just the bearer of the message. And Theo was just making his conclusions."

"Am I a dark omen, then? Am I bringing disaster in my luggage?"

"This marriage has not only been prophesied twice, but is also politically extremely important," Catherine said seriously and a little disgruntled about Annabelle's behavior. "Theo is right: everything has its good and bad sides, even the light of our beloved Sun."

"That's the way it is," High Priest Justin confirmed dignified and thus took the wind out of Annabelle's sails.

With her face pinched, she nodded respectfully at the high priest.

"So can... or should... or _must_ we conclude from this that Adrian's words are about the near, if not the nearest future?" James sounded so old and tired that Theo looked at his father with concern. Perhaps the king hoped that he himself would soon climb into one of the two sarcophagi.

High Priest Justin and Uldred looked at each other. "You are the scholar of prophecy," Justin said, and Uldred pointed to the other two priests with one hand.

"I will discuss it with Steven and Thomas. We will consult older prophecies, but..." he licked his lips, "my gut tells me these words are near."

Theo got a stomachache while James sighed and Rick nodded hard.

"Then it's like that," he said and stepped to James to put a hand on his shoulder. "Father, we should talk to the Grand Lords."

James nodded. "Let the Grand Lords call."

"Now?", Theo wanted to know, while the wolf howled softly- he had been looking forward to a hug from Rafe and to sharing his concerns, but as long as neither Rafe's father nor Martina were at court, he had to fulfill such urgent duties as Grand Lord.

"Now," Rick confirmed seriously and Theo nodded, but Ed had already jumped up.

"I will send for the Lords." He was out the door before anyone could object.

Theo hurried out as well - he wanted at least a few words with Rafe, but Adrian had surprisingly rushed after him and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Theo..."

"Adrian, what... are you all right?"

Adrian didn't look like it, and bent over to whisper to Theo, "I'm scared, little brother."

"Scared of what?" Theo's stomach ache turned into frosty cold; Adrian was indeed worried from time to time, but this was different, very different.

"I'm-"

"Prince of the Moon," Uldred interrupted him, "please come back with us to the monastery so that we can go through the chronicles together."

Adrian looked anything but happy about it, but nodded.

Theo froze under the fleeting but intense look Adrian threw over his shoulder.

The wolf rumbled warningly and Theo felt him pushing against his bonds. In his mind, blood splashed onto the stone floor of the castle.

_"We will kill, won't we? To protect ourselves and our own."_

The wolf curled up alerted.


End file.
